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FSD 19-20 Resolution on Proposal Faculty Oversight: Institutional Program Suspensions

April 8, 2020

FSD 19-20 Resolution on a Proposal Faculty Oversight Regarding Institutional Program Suspensions

Purdue University Northwest Faculty Senate

Submission Date: 3/13/2020

Senate Action Date: 4/10/2020

Approved:  4/10/2020

Whereas: The Educational Policy Committee of the PNW Faculty Senate was asked by the Senate Executive Committee to draft a policy regarding suspensions, discontinuances or any other terms that refer to changing the educational status of a program, concentration or individual course so as to clarify the process for doing such;

Whereas: The Educational Policy Committee (hereafter, the Committee) decided to prepare a draft policy to be discussed by the Senate at the March 13, 2020 Senate Meeting;

Whereas: A proposal was put forth to the Committee for discussion and approval/disapproval, and a process for adoption agreed upon in advance by Committee members;

Whereas: This process was followed and a resolution was adopted by the Committee by a vote of seven (7) affirming the proposal, none opposed, and two not responding (thereby abstaining);

Therefore, The following resolution is being transmitted to the Senate for its consideration,

  1. This policy affirms that Faculty Senate has authority under the PNW Constitution to control the Curriculum at PNW and all related processes;
  2. Therefore, before any curricular changes are made by any PNW administration at the Department, College or Provost levels, these changes MUST be submitted to the PNW Senate Curriculum Committee for its approval and then, subsequently, the PNW Senate’s approval;
  3. That any curriculum changes made since the beginning of Academic Year 2019-2020 without going through these formal processes are therefore declared null and void;
  4. That future program suspensions, etc., must go through this formal process for approval.
  5. The purpose of requiring Curriculum Committee approval and then consideration by the Senate is to ensure formal and meaningful consideration of all proposed changes by PNW faculty through their elected representatives.
  6. Should something happen that is deemed an “emergency,” a request for a waiver of this policy can be made to the Senate Executive Committee, which can be granted upon a two-thirds vote accepting this single exception. These will be decided on a case-by-case bases, and no general waiver will be granted.

Respectfully submitted

Kim Scipes

Chair, Educational Policy Committee on behalf of the Educational Policy Committee

 

Votes approving this resolution: Ralph Cherry, Janet H. Davis, Cheryl DeLeon, Maureen Mascha, Kim Scipes, Xiuling Wang, Hairong Zhao

Abstaining: Roy Evans, Robert Kramer

Opposing: None